Sonic boom from RAF Typhoon jets shakes houses in Yorkshire

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Sonic booms shook houses and rattled windows in Yorkshire on Monday night as two RAF Typhoon jets scrambled to escort a passenger aeroplane in to land.

People in the Leeds and Doncaster areas reported hearing loud bangs and what felt like an explosion as the aircraft flew overhead.

The Typhoons were launched after a civilian plane travelling from Paris to Newcastle became unresponsive.

The aircraft, Air France Flight AF1558, was safely landed with the help of the RAF.

RAF Coningsby tweeted that Quick Reaction Alert Typhoons had escorted the plane after it went off course, adding: “It is normal for Quick Reaction Alert Typhoons to be given Authority to break the sound barrier over land when scrambled”.

Two loud explosion booms just heard from Leeds to Doncaster - seems it was a #SonicBoom - guessing RAF jets scrambled for something?!

An RAF spokesperson said: “Quick reaction alert Typhoon aircraft were launched today from RAF Coningsby to identify an unresponsive civilian aircraft. Communications were re-established and the aircraft has been safely landed.”

One woman said on social media: "House shook & whole street was out, car & house alarms gone off."

Another said: "Those vibrations shook my house and scared me to death. £QRATYPHOON had me out of my bed."

QRA: When given authority to break the sound barrier on a QRA it is usual for it to be heard across MULTIPLE COUNTIES of the UK.

A spokesman for Newcastle International Airport said: “We can confirm flight AFR1558 from Paris, Charles De Gaulle was escorted into Newcastle Airport by RAF aircraft having lost communication with Air Traffic Control. The aircraft landed safely at 22:23.”

Last month, two bangs heard around Northampton and Brackley were caused by Typhoon jets which had been scrambled from an RAF base in Lincolnshire to identify an unresponsive aircraft.